Anxiety…Now What?

1. a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

A couple weeks back I shared that I struggle with…ANXIETY. It is something that I have always dealt with, but didn’t really get the best of me until I became a Mother. Since that post I have received numerous messages asking me…now what?

How do you deal with it? What’s your secret? Do you have any recommendations? I totally get how you are feeling, I feel the same…but I don’t know how to overcome. What can I do? I don’t want my life to be like this anymore.

So I decided to really think about what I feel has been the game changers when it comes to my anxiety, and to put together a list of things that have worked and continue to work for me.

I must tell you that I STILL do in fact deal with anxiety, but instead of it being this big huge scary monster that consumes my life, it is now a little tiny fly that buzzes around irritating me from time to time…but is something I can handle and manage.

I will also say, that if this has gotten SO big and out of control…know that there is ZERO shame in asking for professional help. Sometimes our problems are just to big for us to handle on our own, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

Here are my tips in no particular order.

Get In Touch With Your Inner Yogi (Not The Bear). I have said it before and I will say it again. YOGA was a four letter word I used to HATE. Who has the time to rest and relax when there is a MILLION things to do? #AintNobodyGotTime I have a chore list a mile long… But I can honestly say that this Fall when it seemed like my world was spinning out of control…Yoga saved me. Yoga helped me get in tune with myself, to check out of every day life, and to finally feel peace. Now, because I don’t live in a big huge area, I Yoga at home. My all time favorite instructor can be found on YouTube and her videos are FREE! So if you need to find your center or just want to drown out all the brain chatter be sure to check out Yoga With Adriene.

Self Help Books…No They Aren’t Granola. I know what you are thinking…REALLY a BOOK? But hear me out…your brain my friend is a POWERFUL thing. Think about it! Your anxiety stems from your THOUGHTS! So why not fill your brain with positivity and confidence? Start your day reading or listening to positive and uplifting messages. Here are a few of my all time favorite.

Find audio books, podcasts, uplifting music, anything that surrounds your brain with positivity and tells you nothing more than that you are AWESOME. Because you are.

3. Write That -Ish Out. Part of my struggle with anxiety seems to be that my brain never stops. It goes a million miles a minute from sun up to sundown. So much static and brain chatter, which could cause anyone to get stressed out. So one of the most helpful things I do is I write…I make lists, I schedule ( but not over schedule), and I empty my brain. I leave notebooks all over the house so that I can brain dump. Getting it out of my head clears things up, seeing what I need to accomplish in a day on paper helps me not get so overwhelmed. So grab some cheapy notebooks at the store and toss them around the house.

4. I Believe In That VooDoo Stuff. That’s what my husband likes to call my obsession with essential oils, but you guys whatever you want to call it. That stuff works! Track down a DoTerra Rep or a Young Living girl and get you some! My top picks are Lavender, Marjoram, and Angelica. Although those work best for me, I would recommend getting together in person with someone and smelling different oils, your body will tell you what you need. You will be drawn to the one that will be best for you.

5. In With The Good. Out With The Bad. One of my friends a while back gave me some incredible advice for the days where I wake up totally freaking out for no reason (if you have anxiety you know what I’m talking about), she said lay in bed and start counting all of your blessings. Name every single thing you are grateful for, and do not leave that bed until you are calm. Now with kids that isn’t always an easy task, so maybe you don’t have the ability to stay in bed and do it, but just keep telling yourself all the things you are grateful for. OR just BREATHE!! In…and OUT…Over and over again. Focus solely on your breathe. Not able to keep your mind from wandering? Check out the Headspace app for your phone.

6. Most Importantly…Let Yourself Off The Hook. Here’s the deal. You will have days, days where you feel like the whole world is crumbling around you. This is something that unfortunately doesn’t magically go away, this is a battle you will fight daily. So do yourself a favor and let yourself off the hook. Every once in a while…let yourself have a day…but make sure you limit it to only ONE day. No more than that. Trust me when I say, that IF you keep trying, this big scary monster will turn into an itty bitty annoyance but know that you have to stay alert. Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can.

The truth is anxiety never goes away, it is just something that we learn to control. So find what works for you. I wish there were some magical formula to make it go away, but there isn’t. Luckily we have so many resources available to us, so that we can find ways to keep it at bay. Use them.

Just know that if you do in fact struggle with anxiety, know you aren’t alone. You aren’t going crazy (well maybe you are, but all the best ones are). You aren’t doing anything wrong. Don’t listen to the voice inside telling you all those lies. Stand up to yourself, stand up to the monster who is trying to control your life, be brave and take back control of you life. Reach out to someone you know, reach out to stranger like me, find a support group, do whatever you can so you can live life to it’s fullest with zero limitations.